Improvement in felly-expanders



'- J'. K. MINICH FELLY-EXPANDERS.

No.174,970, Patented Mach 21,1876.

mfmesses:

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

. JACOB K. MINIOH, OF NORTHAMPTON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN FELLY-EXPANDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,970, dated March21, 1876; application tiled August 3, 1874.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB K. MINIGH, of Northampton, Clarke county,Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFelly-Expanders for Carriage-Wheels, of which the following is aspecification:

The invention relates to a peculiar combination and arrangement ofdevices for expanding the felly of a continuous unbroken tire, for thepurpose of securing the latter in place, my devices being applicable notonly during the manufacture of =the wheels, but also to wheels alreadyin use, so that they may be sold in the market and applied by theconsumers to old wheels. The invention consists in 'the combination,with an unbroken tire, and a divided telly, ot' a right and left handscrew, provided with nuts seated'between and against the ends of thefelly, a cap or cover to conceal the parts and retain them in place, anda bolt arranged to hold all the parts together, as hereinafter morefully explained.

Figure l represents "a side view of a wheelrim, provided withV mydevices, the bolt and cover being removed; Fig. 2, alongitudinal sectionot' the same, with all the parts in position; Fig. 3, a cross-sectionot' the same.

In applying my improvements I take a wheel ot' ordinary construction,having an endless unbroken tire, A, and a wooden telly, B, and, afterfirst cutting the felly in two transversely and removing a short sectiontherefrom, in order to leave a recess or cavity vfor the'reception ofthe expanding devices,

l bore a small bolt-hole through the tire opposite the middle of saidcavity or recess. I then seat in the cavity a bolt or screw, O, having'its respective ends provided with right and left hand threads and withnuts or blocks, a, which latter' are seated, as shown, firmly againstthe ends of' the felly. I form the bolt with an enlarged` body, b, atthe middle and provide the same with transverser holes c, to

'receive an operating rod or wrench. I next provide athin metal cover,D, of a U form in cross-section, adaptedgto it snugly over the ends ofthe telly, as shown 'in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to conceal the parts fromsight and retain them in Place. In the middle ot1 the cover I make abolt-hole1 and through the hole in the tire, the middle ofthe bolt C andthe cover, I insert a bolt, E, and then provide the same at the innerend with a nut, as shown, so that it serves to hold the bolt C fromturn-` ing and to secure the cover in place. When the parts are all inposition the wheel presents a neat and finished appearance, with nothingunusual to attract attention. In the event of the tire becoming loose itis only necessary to remove the bolt and cover, turn the screw until thefelly is expanded to the required extent, and then replace the parts, anoperation which may be performed in a few moments, at any place, and byunskilled persons.

When a long dry season is followed by a very damp one, which will causean expansion ot' the wood and thereby produce adangerous strain upon thetire, the screw may be turned backward and the felly permitted tocontract.

My devices are extremely simple, cheap, and efcient; are readily appliedto old and new wheels alike; are susceptible of ready adjustment; arenot objectionable in appearance; and are free from the objections tothose which require a severance of' the tire and the filing and fittingot' the parts when an adjustment is to be made.

I am aware that various devices and combinations have been hithertodevised for the purposes ot' expanding the telly and `of contracting thetire, and I therefore make no broadV claim thereto but I am not awarethat any one has hitherto produced my combination, consisting of tivepieces only, 'applicable to ordinary wheels, permitting the use. of anunbroken tire, and requiring the removal of a single bolt only in orderto permit an adjustment.

Having described myinvention, what Iclaim 1s- In combination with awheel, having a continuous unbroken tire, A, and a divided felly, B, theright and left screw C, provided with the enlaged waist b and holes c,the Vnuts or blocks a, the cover D, andthe bolt E inserted through thetire, the screw, and the cover, as shown.

JACOB K.1M1N1CH.

